Past Speakers

2007-2008 School Year

• Jerry Greenfield - October 29, 2007
  Jerry Greenfield and his business partner Ben Cohen helped turn a storefront venture into a $300 million ice cream empire.  But he is also famous for the way the business was built - an environment where social responsibility and creative management were strengths rather than weaknesses.  Mr. Greenfield generously spent hours with Doane College students in classes, at dinner, and even sitting down to be interviewed by the students who would introduce him later that evening - all before the lecture even began.  As if his "rousing tribute to America's entrepreneurial spirit", as it is often called, wasn't enough, he brought enough coupons for everyone who attended the lecture to have a free pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream of their choice.  Mr. Greenfield currently holds the title with his former company of Co-Founder and serves as the president of the charitable Ben & Jerry's Foundation.  He's also a "Joy Pooh-Bah Emeritus," sometimes consulting for the Joy Gang, a group of Ben & Jerry's employees dedicated to bringing more joy into the workplace through fun activities

2006-2007 School Year

• ANTHONY RAPP - September 7, 2006
  Anthony Rapp is best known for originating the role of Mark Cohen in the Tony Award-wining rock opera, Rent. A musical about Bohemians in the East Village of New York City, Rent explores the struggle with life, love and AIDS, and the impacts they have on America. He shared an OBIE Award with the rest of the cast for his performance. Rapp has written a book about his experiences with Rent as well as his personal struggle with losing his mother to cancer, titled, Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical "Rent."
• GIDEON YAGO - MTV News Correspondent, October 10, 2006
  "They're Doing What? Politics, Cool and the Youth Vote". Called "the face of current events to millions of young adults," Gideon Yago has spent six years as a writer and correspondent for MTV News and a contributor to CBS News. Yago was a Columbia University student when he appeared on MTV as a winning contestant on Idiot Savant, a pop-culture game show. A few years later, when MTV recruited for its "Choose or Lose" campaign to educate young voters, he was among college students chosen to report on the election. After Choose or Lose, Yago remained an MTV News correspondent.
• SHERYL SWOOPES - WNBA Player and Olympian, December 4, 2006
  "Dedication and Determination:  The Keys to Success".  Since the birth of the Women's National Basketball Association in 1997, Sheryl Swoopes has stormed onto the sports scene as one of the nation's most skilled and impressive athletes. She's earned many respected accolades during her career, including two Olympic gold medals and 2002's WNBA MVP award, and she became the first female athlete to receive a shoe endorsement from Nike-the Air Swoopes.
• JANE ELLIOTT- Teacher, Lecturer, and Diversity Trainer, February 15
  Elliott is the adaptor of the Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes discrimination experiment. The sensitizing exercise, in which participants are labeled inferior or superior based on the color of their eyes, began in a third-grade classroom in all-white, all-Christian Riceville, Iowa, immediately after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It has been repeated with dramatic results with children and adults throughout the country.
• JIM ELLIS - Founder, Philadelphia Department of Recreation, April 17
  Ellis founded the P.D.R. (Philadelphia Department of Recreation) Swim Team, based at the Marcus Foster Recreation Center in the Nicetown section of Philadelphia, in 1971. Today, it is the city's nationally recognized competitive swim team, the nation's best predominately African-American team, and has become a model for urban swim programs around the country. Jim Ellis' story is testimony to the power of dreams and their ability to inspire and transform human life. His story is the subject of the film, Pride, starring Terrence Howard, released on March 23, 2007.

2005-2006 School Year

• Herman Cain, Chairman of the Board of Godfather's Pizza, serves on the Boards of Directors for Whirlpool Corporation, Aquila, Inc., Reader's Digest Association, Inc., and Hallmark Cards Incorporated; "Leadership is Common Sense" 
• Mark Zupan, civil engineer, member of the USA Paralympics quad rugby team, professional quad rugby player; "Murderball: Smashing Stereotypes One Hit at a Time"
• Maisa and Marina; Palestinian and Jewish Israeli graduate students; "Maisa and Marina: Unlikely Partners in Peace"
• Derrick Ashong, actor, entrepreneur, founder of ASAFO Productions, writer; "Killing Cool: Igniting the Soul of Society" 
• Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, Lt. Col. (ret), US Army, founder of Educational Achievement Services, Inc.; "Servant leadership: A New Call to Duty"

2004-05 School Year

• Stephen Shames, award winning photographer and photo essayist
• Rabbi Harold Kushner, best-selling author, "Living a Life That Matters."
• Bruce Brown, motivational sports speaker, "NAIA Champions of Character." Positive character and actions.
• Soledad O'Brien, CNN's American Morning Co-host, "Diversity:  On TV, Behind the Scenes and In Our Lives."

2003-04 School Year

• Fire Chief Richard Picciotto, New York Fire Station Chief; "Last Man Down: A Fireman's Story" first hand account of 9/11 and humanity
• Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and author; "Importance of Voting and Finding Passion and Meaning in Your Work"
• Morris Dees, civil rights lawyer and co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center; "Activism for the Underprivileged"
• Doug Lansky, noted travel expert and author; topic: budget travel and tips
• Sarah Weddington, nationally known attorney and spokesperson on public issues; "Some Leaders are Born Women"

2002-03 School Year

• Justice Alan Page, Minnesota 's first African-American Supreme Court Justice; topic: service to community and leadership
• Sgt. Matt Eversmann, military hero "Black Hawk Down: Lessons Learned." Service, leadership and patriotism.
• Alvah Simon, explorer and author; topic: survival and bravery
• Danny Glover, actor; topic: literacy
• Ron Gustafson, motivational speaker; topic: overcoming life's obstacles

2001-02 School Year

• Jeff Corwin, TV personality; topic; wildlife, ecology and conservation issues
• Susan O'Malley, president, Washington Sports and Entertainment; topic: business and leadership
• Dr. Drew Pinsky, co-host of MTV's Loveline and author; topic: healthy relationships and youth culture

2000-01 School Year

• James Earl Jones, actor; topic: overcoming childhood obstacles

1999-00 School Year

• Madame Jehan Sadat, former first lady of Egypt ; "A Sense of Peace"
• Dr. David Smith, founder of the Human Genome Program; topic: DNA studies and biochemistry
• Dr. Keith Devlin, author and mathematician; "Life By the Numbers" - how math shapes our lives
• Dr. Kary Mullis, Noble Prize Chemist, topic: innovations in science

1998-99 School Year

• Major General Perry Smith, author; topic: leadership and Ethics
• Phil Jackson, former Chicago Bulls coach; topic: vision and keys to leadership